by Rose Murdock

Abraham gave birth to God’s promise.  Moses delivered the promise from bondage and Joshua led the promise into the Promised Land.  All three of these men had a call from God to accomplish a task.  All three had to leave the place they were in order to fulfill God’s call.  Abraham had to leave Ur.  Moses had to leave Egypt and Joshua had to leave the wilderness.

1. Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2. and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" (Genesis 12:1-2).

Abraham had to leave Ur, which was where his family was.  It was the place of natural destiny.  What he would become apart from obeying the call of God.  There was no people of God or family of God in this place, only his natural family and God was calling him out in order to create His own people.

24. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter:

25. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

27. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:24-27)

Moses had to leave Egypt.  A place of bondage and slavery.  It was also a place where Moses decided to identify with the people of God rather than to live in Pharaoh’s house.  It was a time for him to choose the truth at all costs, no matter what kind of sacrifice he had to make.

1. Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,

2. Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel." (Joshua 1:1-2).

Joshua had to leave the wilderness.  The place of wandering.  The place of waiting and death (even though there was miraculous provision).

There is a similar journey we follow in our spiritual walk.  As Abraham, we must obey God calling us out into His family.  We might think everything is fine and our own plans and natural destiny for our life are looking O.K.  We accept what we are destined to become and just go through life not expecting a whole lot and hoping to go to Heaven when we die.  But God moves upon our heart and calls us out of this place of contentment.  He wants to bring us into His family and move us into a place of fellowship with Him.  Just as some of the Israelites eventually realized they couldn’t reach God through their own efforts and needed the Messiah, so we too learn we can only become a part of God’s family through Jesus Christ.

As Christians we must accept the truth at all costs.  As Moses did, we need to make decisions to live according to the truth even if it seems that we will be worse off for the time being.  But the fact is that the truth will make you free!  Moses had to identify with God’s people before he could fulfill God’s call on his life.  He had to accept the truth.  It wasn’t enough for him to know it, he had to live according to it.  He had to leave Pharaoh’s house.  When we choose to accept that we are a part of the body of Christ and we take our place in the body and live according to the truth and according to God’s plan and purpose for our life rather than what we think is best for us, then not only will we be set free but a whole lot of other people will be as well!  We are as the one who found a pearl of great price and sells all in order to have it (Matthew 13:45)!

And as we walk free from bondage in our lives and begin to head for the Promised Land we may encounter obstacles on the way.  But what we often end up realizing is that the biggest obstacle is ourselves.  Being full of a critical and complaining attitude and in the end fear and doubt of God’s Word is the biggest obstacle to prevent us from entering into the Promised Land—the place of God’s rest.  Like Joshua, we must put faith in God’s Word and believe that He means what He says or we will be wandering with no direction.

Once you are delivered from bondage you will be miserable until you learn to enter into His land of rest!  Have you ever felt, even as a Christian, that you’re just walking in circles and not really accomplishing what God wants in your life?  You know there’s more He wants for you but you just can’t seem to grasp it?  You seem to be wandering aimlessly and even though God provides for you you know that this isn’t His best.  You know this isn’t the place He wants you to be.  You know the Promised Land is out there somewhere!  I’m not talking about not being content where you are and becoming anxious for we all need to be content and peaceful in every situation.  But I’m talking about the hope that more of His best—a rest—is available to you now!

The thing that will bring you into that land is your faith in God’s Word.

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4:2)

He uses the Israelites wandering for 40 years and dying in the desert as an example of not being able to enter into God’s rest because of not mixing the gospel (the good news of God) with faith.  And these were God’s people—they weren’t the heathen!

"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4:11)

There is a rest available to the people of God that comes by putting faith in what He has spoken.  We must mix the Word of God with faith in order to be able to enter into this rest He speaks of.  Even after we are Christians we can still ‘wander in the desert’ so to speak if we don’t act on what God has spoken for us to do.

"For we which have believed do enter into rest,…" (Hebrews 4:3)

When God spoke to them about entering into the Promised Land He was leading them into a place of blessing!  He wasn’t asking them to do something that would be hard.  Compared to what they had experienced in Egypt, The Promised Land was a piece of cake!  But they did have to trust Him to overcome the giants that were in the way.

Whatever your situation is today, you can enter into the land of His rest by taking what God has said concerning your situation and mixing it with faith.  Believe that God means what He says.  Mix the Word with faith and trust Him to lead and guide you to overcome whatever giants are standing in the way.  Don’t be fearful and unbelieving and wander around.  Take the path of faith instead!

Get a crossword puzzle for this teaching
(You must have Acrobat Reader)